Russia yesterday announced plans for a hotel in orbit 217 miles up which would house seven guests in four cabins and have huge windows for views of the Earth turning below.
Just getting there will be an adventure in itself - it will take two days aboard a Soyuz rocket - and it won't exactly be a budget holiday: A five-day stay will cost you £100,000, on top of £500,000 for your journey.
The hotel is due to open by 2016, according to Orbital Technologies which will construct the hotel, will be "far more comfortable" than the International Space Station used by astronauts.
In the weightlessness of space, visitors still can choose to have beds that are either vertical or horizontal, while showers will be sealed affairs to stop water going where it shouldn't.
Tourists, who will be accompanied by experienced crew, will dine on food prepared on Earth and sent up on the rocket, to be reheated in microwave ovens.
The plan is to do away with the freeze-dried tubes of nourishment given to astronauts and replace them with delicacies such as braised veal cheeks with wild mushrooms, white bean puree, potato soup and plum compote.
Iced tea, mineral water and fruit juices will be available, but alcohol will be strictly prohibited. Toilets will use flowing air instead of water to move waste through the system.
Waste water will be recycled, while the air will be filtered to remove odor and bacteria and then returned to the cabin.
Sergei Kostenko, chief executive of Orbital Technologies said: "The hotel will be aimed at wealthy individuals and people working for private companies who want to do research in space."
Tourists might also find themselves playing host to unexpected guests - there is a plan for the hotel to be used as an emergency bolthole for astronauts aboard the International Space Station if there is a crisis, rather than bringing them all the way back to Earth.


据英国《每日邮报》8月16日报道，俄罗斯昨日（15日）宣布将要在距离地球217英里的轨道上打造一家旅馆，内设4个太空舱，可供7位旅客居住。并且，旅馆内还装有巨型窗户，旅客可通过其鸟瞰地球景观。

单单进入旅馆（这个过程）本身就是场冒险，因为旅客们需要花两天时间乘坐"联合号"火箭。同时，这种旅行也一点不便宜，5天的住宿费为100,000英镑，并且太空旅程费会高达500,000英镑。

据建造该旅馆的轨道科技公司称，该旅馆预计于2016年开放，这种旅馆将会比宇航员们住的国际空间站更舒适。


在失重的空间中，旅客们仍可选择竖立或横放着的床铺。同时，淋浴装置具有密闭性，可避免水流四溢。

旅客们将会由专业人员陪同，他们的食物是在地球上准备好、通过火箭运载来并且可置于微波炉中加热的。

旅馆设计人员计划让旅客们享用到野蘑菇炖牛肉、白色豆泥、马铃薯汤和李子蜜饯等美食，而现在宇航员们则只能吃到装在管子里经过冷冻干燥的食物。


旅馆内冰茶、矿泉水和果汁一应俱全，但饮酒却是绝对不允许的。通过特定系统，流动的空气将取代流水冲走坐便器内的排泄物。

废水将被循环利用，空气也可经过过滤除菌、消除异味后再次进入舱内。

轨道科技公司董事长谢尔盖•柯斯登柯说："太空旅馆主要面向财力雄厚的个人，以及供职于私人公司并希望进行太空研究的人员。"


旅客们或许还会接待一些意想不到的客人，因为该旅馆还计划作为宇航员在载人航天站遇到危险时的紧急避难所，这样宇航员们就不用急着逃回地球了。

• yesterday [´jestədi] n.&ad.昨天；前不久 (初中英语单词)
• aboard [ə´bɔ:d] ad.&prep.在...上 (初中英语单词)
• holiday [´hɔlidi] n.假日，假期，节日 (初中英语单词)
• construct [kən´strʌkt] vt.建造；构(词)；造句 (初中英语单词)
• international [,intə´næʃənəl] a.国际的，世界的 (初中英语单词)
• replace [ri´pleis] vt.放回；复置；取代 (初中英语单词)
• mineral [´minərəl] n.矿物 a.矿物的 (初中英语单词)
• available [ə´veiləbəl] a.可用的；有效的 (初中英语单词)
• alcohol [´ælkəhɔl] n.酒精；醇 (初中英语单词)
• executive [ig´zekjutiv] a.行政的 n.行政官 (初中英语单词)
• wealthy [´welθi] a.富有的；丰富的 (初中英语单词)
• working [´wə:kiŋ] a.工人的；劳动的 (初中英语单词)
• research [ri´sə:tʃ] n.&vi.调查；探究；研究 (初中英语单词)
• budget [´bʌdʒit] n.&vi.(做)预算；安排 (高中英语单词)
• strictly [´striktli] ad.严格地 (高中英语单词)
• unexpected [ʌniks´pektid] a.突然的；意外的 (高中英语单词)
• emergency [i´mə:dʒənsi] n.事变；紧急关头 (高中英语单词)
• crisis [´kraisis] n.转折点；危机 (高中英语单词)
• vertical [´və:tikəl] a.垂直的 n.垂直线 (英语四级单词)
• horizontal [,hɔri´zɔntl] a.水平的，横的 (英语四级单词)
• experienced [ik´spiəriənst] a.有经验的；熟练的 (英语四级单词)
• nourishment [´nʌriʃmənt] n.食物；营养品(情况) (英语四级单词)
• bacteria [bæk´tiəriə] n.细菌 (英语四级单词)
• rocket [´rɔkit] n.火箭；火箭发动机 (英语六级单词)